Mom's battle with rare form of cancer in Canton

She is diagnosed with a rare cancer called peritonei carcinoma

The laundry, it’s a typical household chore, but for the Savage family in Canton Twp., it’s considered a blessing.

"We have an amazing faith in God that has helped us through a lot. Without that I don’t know where we would be," said Joanne Savage.

When Joanne lost her husband Pat to cancer a year ago, her three boys Colin, Jack and Nolan lost a father.

"It’s been a tough road, I mean it’s been hard trying to put the pieces back together with losing Pat, and that’s been very difficult," said Joanne.

And now the family is dealt another blow. Joanne has been diagnosed with a rare cancer of the mid-section called Peritonei Carcinoma.

"I’m exhausted a lot of the time, most of the time. Your body is fighting something that doesn’t belong there so it’s really hard to function on a daily basis," Joanne told Local 4.

In a few days this single mother, living on a fixed income will begin chemo-therapy, with her sights set on a full-recovery and she won’t go it alone.

"The loss of their father, and just having their mother, I mean that just touches the heart," said Joe Pinion of RealBarBQ in Canton Twp.

All day Saturday RealBarBQ will donate 50 percent of their proceeds to Joanne and her family. She is more than thankful for the support, which fills her with love and makes the fight to live that much stronger.

"I’ve told my kids and myself we have two choices. We can either look back and be sad all the time with what we’ve lost and miss out and just not be happy, or we can look forward to what God has planned," said Joanne.

The Salem High School Football team played a major role in getting the fundraiser off the ground.

RealBarBQ is located at Lilley and Ford Road in Canton. Doors open at 11 a.m.

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